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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
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LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED
#26060143 - 06/18/19 05:26 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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I have about a 5-10 degree slope and need to put up an 8x10 shed. Do I need a 9x11 space? I want a simple pad of pea gravel.(or should I put down paver stones?) Anyone have suggestions and/or videos/links to get some ideas on digging and leveling it? Or a cheap pad suggestion? I think I'll attempt to do it myself, but if I had to pay for it does anyone have an idea of cost?
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26063118 - 06/20/19 06:01 AM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Theres several ways to level.
In the past, Ive used a 3ft level and used that to find high and low spots. They make 6ft levels too, that would be better. Ive also read about "water leveling" where u put pipes inside the ground, then fill them with water, and use that water level as your guide. You can also use a lazer level, but i find them hard to read during the day. At dusk or dawn, its much easier to read.
If u use gravel, make sure u tamp the ground down first really good then tamp the gravel on top of it. Pea gravel is pretty loose, but it may work for leveling an area.
Making a 9x11 space would be easier as it gives u an extra foot to work with, like if u descide to lay concrete and you need to out forms down. Theres a bunch of books online on laying concrete/masonary and they show u how to level and prep an area (the first step before putting concrete down).
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Psychedelic Pupil
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: LogicaL Chaos] 1
#26063365 - 06/20/19 09:25 AM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yeah, There's several ways to go about this. The biggest issue is that for an 8% grade over 10' you'll need to remove/add about 16" to hit level. In general you want to dig down to get to level, rather than build up because whatever you build up is going to settle unless you have a machine to tamp it down.
The issue with digging down for grade for something like this is that you'll create a water trap so you have to do some extra grading to allow for water to flow around the shed.
I would say the easiest/cheapest way to tackle this would be to sink 2 sonotubes on the downhill side to hit level over the span. From your location it looks like you don't need to worry about freezing so for a small shed they don't even need to be that deep.
For making sure you're level over the span get a line level, aka, a string level. It clips to a string that you can run over a long span. Use stakes in the front for temporary markers for level so you know how high the tubes/front post need to be.
You can pm me with questions if you'd like.
-------------------- I'd like to think I'm smart enough to realize how much knowledge I don't have.
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
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Hmm, I'll post a pic later. That way you guys can have a better understanding of what I need done. It looks closer to 5% grade really, but I'm no landscaper. I could dig down to level and place the upper dirt to the lower half thereby leveling it without adding anything but the base for the base of the shed and shed. Water flows down past the house and under the fence it will be by. I also found out from a tough shed dealer that the shed has to be 5ft or more away from fences on either and all sides legally.
I can rent a manual dirt tamper for 10 bucks a day, or an powered one for 95, lol. I'm not going to have more than 500lbs of stuff in the shed, maybe. At the most maybe 600-800. I'm thinking the manual tamper will suffice.
Edited by tyrannicalrex (06/20/19 09:43 AM)
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Psychedelic Pupil
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex] 1
#26063387 - 06/20/19 09:50 AM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yeah, a pic would help. 5% is not bad. In that case then I'd say yes to removing the dirt from the back and moving it up front. Tamp it down by hand in stages. Add a couple inches of dirt, tamp it, add more, tamp, etc. That will ensure it all packs evenly. At that point you can probably just use pavers or blocks in the corners for your foundation. I'd put an inch of gravel under it also to help with air flow/drainage
-------------------- I'd like to think I'm smart enough to realize how much knowledge I don't have.
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26063399 - 06/20/19 10:00 AM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Tapping an 8x10 will be pretty easy. Juet takes some time and effort. Good idea with the water drainage. Always good to think of water draining when building something. You may have to dig a small trench near the shed for rainwater run off.
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tyrannicalrex
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex] 1
#26066241 - 06/21/19 06:49 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Here is the space.

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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26066244 - 06/21/19 06:51 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Definitely going to need some drainage, especially on the fence side. Looks like the slope starts on the fence side of me, correct?
Should be pretty easy. Not very much slope to deal with.
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tyrannicalrex
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#26066262 - 06/21/19 06:59 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yep! The yard already drains that way on that side, on the other side is more dirt and a space for another driveway/cement/gravel. I'm laying gravel down on it. That will naturally dissipate any puddling and it will help, it will run off away from the house and sidewalk.
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26066269 - 06/21/19 07:04 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Nice. Should be easy. Good idea with the gravel. Is 3/4 cut gravel? I find that works real good.
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tyrannicalrex
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: LogicaL Chaos] 1
#26066276 - 06/21/19 07:06 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Not sure yet, I'll ask when I get to home depot.
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XUL
OTD Janitor



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Quote:
Psychedelic Pupil said: Yeah, There's several ways to go about this. The biggest issue is that for an 8% grade over 10' you'll need to remove/add about 16" to hit level. In general you want to dig down to get to level, rather than build up because whatever you build up is going to settle unless you have a machine to tamp it down.
The issue with digging down for grade for something like this is that you'll create a water trap so you have to do some extra grading to allow for water to flow around the shed.
I would say the easiest/cheapest way to tackle this would be to sink 2 sonotubes on the downhill side to hit level over the span. From your location it looks like you don't need to worry about freezing so for a small shed they don't even need to be that deep.
For making sure you're level over the span get a line level, aka, a string level. It clips to a string that you can run over a long span. Use stakes in the front for temporary markers for level so you know how high the tubes/front post need to be.
You can pm me with questions if you'd like.
Indeed.
I just build a goat shed on an angle.
I am still installing french drains.
--------------------
TRUMP 2020
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Psychedelic Pupil
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: XUL] 1
#26069571 - 06/23/19 04:17 PM (4 years, 7 months ago) |
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Shouldn't be too bad. Looks like it will be a little tight to fit an 8x10 in there. If it were my house I would dig a ditch along the walkway sloping out past the fence and fill it with drainage pipe and gravel. This isn't needed for leveling the shed but I'm a belt and suspenders kind of person so since you're going to be diggin anyway you might as well put in a drainage ditch to keep water away from your garage.
You can use that dirt to help level out the pad for your shed. It doesn't look like you'll have to use much dirt. Once it's level lay in an inch or two of gravel on top of that for drainage and air. I would still just use pavers on the corners as a foundation. More specifically, wall caps. They're 2" thick so you can stack as needed to get some airflow under the shed.
Hope it goes well!
-------------------- I'd like to think I'm smart enough to realize how much knowledge I don't have.
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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Quote:
Psychedelic Pupil said: Shouldn't be too bad. Looks like it will be a little tight to fit an 8x10 in there. If it were my house I would dig a ditch along the walkway sloping out past the fence and fill it with drainage pipe and gravel. This isn't needed for leveling the shed but I'm a belt and suspenders kind of person so since you're going to be diggin anyway you might as well put in a drainage ditch to keep water away from your garage.
You can use that dirt to help level out the pad for your shed. It doesn't look like you'll have to use much dirt. Once it's level lay in an inch or two of gravel on top of that for drainage and air. I would still just use pavers on the corners as a foundation. More specifically, wall caps. They're 2" thick so you can stack as needed to get some airflow under the shed.
Hope it goes well!
All great ideas that I will incorporate into the build, thanks! We found the exact color and size and extras (a window) of the tuff shed we want. I'll probably get into it this weekend. Got a yard party on Aug. 3rd and I want it to be ready before then.
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tyrannicalrex
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex] 1
#26912087 - 09/01/20 02:20 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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So, we got the side leveled more or less. The shed is bought and paid for (tuff shed) and it's an 8X10 with a window in the back and door in front. All in all was under 5 for all of it. Shed will go in in the next few weeks, hopefully. Just bought it yesterday when a tuff shed guy came out to look at the space.
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26912109 - 09/01/20 02:31 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Nice dude! I do see a slight slope, but if its close, u can always put some concrete tiles underneath to level out the shed as needed. Looks great thou!
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#26912113 - 09/01/20 02:33 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yeah, I didn't notice it when it was done and the guy had already finished. Tuff shed levels it completely anyway. Took a year and 2 months, lol!
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: tyrannicalrex]
#26912124 - 09/01/20 02:36 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Damn! A commitment! yeah, slopes are tough to get level, cause well its a slope. But Im sure the Tuff Shed installer dudes will figure something out.
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NothingsChanged
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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: LogicaL Chaos] 1
#26921045 - 09/06/20 12:04 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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your raised bed looks like a good spot for some wood lovers.
Nice job completing your project
--------------------

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LogicaL Chaos
Ascension Energy & Alien UFOs




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Re: LEVELING AN 9X11 SPACE FOR 8X10 OUTDOOR SHED [Re: NothingsChanged] 1
#26921380 - 09/06/20 03:14 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Its time for Part 2 of this DIY project
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